Friday, August 29, 2008

Mountains

Question to meditate on: How do you climb mountains?

He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. (John 3:30, NLT)

I have friends that climb mountains wherever they can find a mountain. A mountain is not a mountain to them, it is a goal to be achieved. They sweat and struggle in their pursuit of making it to the top. It isn't that I don't enjoy the pursuit of goals . . . but when it comes to mountains . . . I would prefer to well . . . stroll. My idea of a great mountain adventure is finding a sunny spot along the pathway to read and think. While my friends are equipped with ascenders, rope grabs, and rappel devices for the perfect climb; I prefer to bring a mug of coffee and a book in anticipation of finding the perfect spot.

In some ways this is life. When it comes down to it, we all face circumstantial mountains in our life. Some of the mountains seem insurmountable while other mountains appear to be doable with the right equipment. Climbing life's mountains requires specific strategizing and goal setting. At the same time, along the way we need to take note of where we are and where we are going by taking time to stop and pause. It requires finding a spot to "be still and know God" (Psalm 46:10).

In stillness, we discover that our life is about the abiding presence of God. Life does not need to be a constant struggle to make it but rather a journey of peace with the awareness that God is present and working on our behalf whether we can see it or not. John put it this way . . . Christ, God with us, is to be greater and I am to be less. In other words, the climb is not about me, which changes how I need to think, speak, and act.

How can we do this?
We need to become still to know the presence of God.
Find the perfect spot in the day to be still and know God. Pause to be aware of the presence of God.
Take time to be aware.
Experience His presence . . . without asking for anything. Be in the presence of God.
Move forward refreshed and renewed . . . aware of the presence of God . . . empowered to climb every mountain.

Learning with you to find the place to stop to know God,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

mountains in our life. Some of the mountains seem insurmountable while other mountains appear to be doable with the right equipment. Climbing life's mountains requires specific strategizing and goal setting. At the same time, along the way we need to take note of where we are and where we are going by taking time to stop and pause. It requires finding a spot to "be still and know God" (Psalm 46:10).

In stillness, we discover that our life is about the abiding presence of God. Life does not need to be a constant struggle to make it but rather a journey of peace with the awareness that God is present and working on our behalf whether we can see it or not. John put it this way . . . Christ, God with us, is to be greater and I am to be less. In other words, the climb is not about me, which changes how I need to think, speak, and act.

How can we do this?
We need to become still to know the presence of God.
Find the perfect spot in the day to be still and know God. Pause to be aware of the presence of God.
Take time to be aware.
Experience His presence . . . without asking for anything. Be in the presence of God.
Move forward refreshed and renewed . . . aware of the presence of God . . . empowered to climb every mountain.

Learning with you to find the place to stop to be still and know God,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Why do I do what I do?

Question to meditate on today: Am I effective?

The bride will go where the bridegroom is. A bridegroom's friend rejoices with him. I am the bridegroom's friend, and I am filled with joy at his success. (John 3:29, NLT)

Most people I know are too busy . . . too scheduled . . . too tired. One thing that I am learning is that we often mistake busyness for effectiveness. Most of the time busyness is . . . well . . . busyness.

How do we exchange busyness for effectiveness?

John had the simple answer. He likened himself to the bride, saying that the bride goes where the bridegroom, Christ, is. His purpose was clear: do the work of God. The rest was not his concern. Who does that? I mean who really stays that focused? It seems to me, that it is only possible when we hold nothing back, loving Christ with everything we got! Nothing is held back or hidden, everything is given through a love that just won't stop.

That kind of love takes intention and attention all the time:
And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you? He requires you to fear him, to live according to his will, to love and worship him with all your heart and soul (Deuteronomy 10:12, NLT).

Every day we need to reactivate and:
Fear: Be in awe of God . . . understand God offers us the daily opportunity to be in an active, ongoing, participating relationship.

Live according to his will: Do what Christ, God with us, showed us to do.

Love: God holds nothing back . . . everything has been given for humanity to receive the complete and full love of God. Receive the love. Return the love, completely and fully with everything you got.

Worship: Pay attention to God. Be so engaged that you are constantly in a worship state . . . God you are more than enough . . . You are all in all . . . You are everything . . . I want to go where you are going today . . . do what you are doing.

Ask: Why do I do what I do?
Are you busy or are you effective?
Do you do what you do out of love for God or because you feel you have to do it?
Hold nothing back.
Fully engage with Christ.
Do what Christ is doing.
Receive joy in knowing you have participated in the work of God . . . how cool is that?

Learning with you to be effective,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

That Is All!

Question to meditate on: How is life going for you?

You yourselves know how plainly I told you that I am not the Messiah. I am here to prepare the way for him -- that is all. (John 3:28, NLT)

We make things so difficult for ourselves. We plan. We plot. We stress. And, we repeat this process on a daily basis. Somewhere along the way . . . we lose sight of the purpose of what we are doing and why we are doing it. Eventually, if something doesn't change, we lose peace.

I know that I have talked about it before . . . but peace is the key to living well. The peace that comes from God, the shalom, is derived from knowing the presence, power, and goodness of God.

John knew the secret to living. He not only understood that he was to live out his God-given purpose but that God had come . . . Christ was present and good. The New Living Translation states it so well . . . that is all. There is nothing else to say . . . when we finally understand why we are living and how we are to live . . . it comes down to a simplicity that frees us from every other expectations. It did not matter what others wanted from him . . . he knew the presence of God . . . and what God wanted him to do . . . and he had the peace of God--that is all we need.

Stop.
Breathe.
Be aware of the presence of God.
Receive the peace of God.
Surrender to the power of God.
Go where God wants you to go through the power of the Spirit.
Do what God wants you to do through the power of the Spirit.
Refuse to do anything else . . . including other expectations.
Be at peace.
--that is all.

Learning with you to do all things through the presence, power and peace of God,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Don't Forget Your Appointment!

Today's question to meditate on: What is your appointed work today?

John's disciples came to him and said, "Teacher, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you said was the Messiah, is also baptizing people. And everybody is going over there instead of coming here to us."
John replied, "God in heaven appoints each person's work. (John 3:26-27, NLT)


I think we should earn some points. You know the kind of points that are earned when you are a frequent flier. Except these kind of points are for moving. We have moved a total of nine times between ourselves and our kids in one year. And, it is not over, we are looking forward to one more move for our kids within the next month and then again a few months later. At least we are not bored . . . at all. Points aside, it really is not about moving, but about the process.

Whatever we do, the first question we must ask is: "Did God appoint me to do this?"
The second question is: "Am I doing it the way God would have me do it?"

We tend to get so busy with the busyness of life that we fail to do what we are appointed to do by God.

The disciples of John (the Baptist) saw that the people had left them to go to Jesus to be baptized. John understood that his work had been appointed by God, which was to direct people to Jesus. His appointed work, empowered by God, not only impacted the ancient world but throughout history.

Doing means nothing without being appointed by God to do it.
Don't forget your appointment!
Meet with God.
Ask God to direct you to your appointed work today.
Enjoy the process of doing what you are appointed to do.
Learning with you to do what I am appointed to do,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

Monday, August 25, 2008

Immersed

Today's question to meditate on: What are you immersed in??

At this time John the Baptist was baptizing at Aenon, near Salim, because there was plenty of water there and people kept coming to him for baptism.This was before John was put into prison. (John 3:23-24, NLT)

Last night, in the rain, we baptized a group of people down by the river, immersing them in the cold, flowing water. How cool is that? The simplicity of it reminded me, once again, of how humanity has made life so complicated and messy. We often become immersed in the power of our circumstances, failing to immerse ourselves in the presence, power, and peace of God.

John the Baptist baptized people at Aenon, which is defined as "spring" or "natural fountain." The baptisms signified an act of conversion. Water, a primary need and a valuable resource in the arid ancient land, was perceived as life-giving and sustaining. Springs were seen as living water, a never-ending resource of water.

Most of us would not only admit we have the need, but also the desire to be in a life-giving and sustaining place of life.

In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses' journal, he told of the place God had promised: “For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with flowing streams, with springs and underground waters welling up in valleys and hills” (Deut 8:7 NRSV).

Where do you and I find that place?

Simply put . . . through Christ.

And he also said, "It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega -- the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give the springs of the water of life without charge!

Seek God . . . he will take the power of the burdens of life away. He said, "It is finished."
Immerse yourself in the presence of God . . . He is the Alpha (beginning) and the Omega (End) of life. He is Life!
Receive the springs of the water of life today and all through the day and splash others!
Learning with you to be immersed in the presence, power, and peace of God,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

Monday, August 18, 2008

Living Life When it is Messy

Today's question to meditate on: Do you believe all things are possible with God?

Afterward Jesus and his disciples left Jerusalem, but they stayed in Judea for a while and baptized there. (John 3:22, NLT)

I have been teaching a class entitled "Living Life When it is Messy." Turns out, life gets messy. The thing is, we need to live in a way that life is not ruled by circumstances but the presence of God. Of course this is easier said than done. So, this week the class has been challenged to take 60 seconds of every waking hour until next Sunday to stop, become still, and be aware of the presence of God. From my own experience, 60 seconds can seem like an eternity in the midst of the busyness of the day, however; after some practice, the 60 seconds spent with God becomes a welcomed oasis. A great way to begin the minute is to meditate on a specific scripture asking God to activate the words within the heart, mind, and soul.

Today I will be meditating on Luke 18:27: "Jesus said, 'What is impossible with men is possible with God'" These words of Christ help us understand what it means to live centered on Christ, "God with us." The point of this scripture is that our life completely changes when we immerse our life in Christ. Life without Christ is impossible. With Christ, all things are possible, including living through messy circumstances.

Look at the verse in John 3:22. Imagine being one of the individuals Jesus and his disciples baptized. The point of the baptism was for the individual to demonstrate the decision to enter into a new life. The individual was freed from the old way of living, leaving it all in the watery grave. The baptism signified a new beginning based on a relationship with God.

That's it . . . we are to live every hour of every day in an active participating relationship with God.
The messes of life are impossible to face without God. With God all things are possible.

Concentrate on the presence of God rather than the circumstances of living.
Use 96 minutes (one minute of sixteen hours of every day until next Sunday)of this week to become more aware than ever of the presence of God.
Respond to the presence of God rather than the messy parts of the day.
Participate with the work of God in every part of the day.
Refuse to activate your old ways and habits of living.
Remember nothing is impossible with God. Nothing.

Learning with you to be more aware of God than messy circumstances,
Shalom,
Kerrie

(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

Friday, August 15, 2008

A Matter of Trust

Today's question to meditate on: Does the Light of God shine through everything you think, do, and say?


"There is no judgment awaiting those who trust him. But those who do not trust him have already been judged for not believing in the only Son of God.
Their judgment is based on this fact: The light from heaven came into the world, but they loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.
They hate the light because they want to sin in the darkness. They stay away from the light for fear their sins will be exposed and they will be punished.
But those who do what is right come to the light gladly, so everyone can see that they are doing what God wants." (John 3:18-21, NLT)


One thing is for sure, regardless of who we are, what we do will eventually be found out. The greatest example in this era, are all the people that end up on the internet's infamous YouTube without intending to have their behavior seen or their words heard. Many of these individuals are often in front of news reporters and begin to feel an ease and comfort around them; they say and do inappropriate things when they think the cameras and microphones are off. Um . . . yeah . . . not a good idea.

The thing is . . . yesterday, I heard a message with crude words from one man that thought that he could keep his identity unknown. Well, I figured out his identity and I do not have sleuth skills . . . actually, I have met him in another community . . . where he is in ministry. There are many lessons in this little incident. The greatest lesson is to realize whatever we try to hide will be found out . . . whether it is something small or little. John wrote, "The light shines through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it." (John 1:5, NLT)

So, really, we can't hide anything?

Turns out, we become emotionally, physically, and spiritually unhealthy when we hide what we do and say. The issue is trusting God. The results are that others will not trust us after what has been hidden is revealed.

Jesus, God with us, said that when we come to the light everyone can see that we are doing what God wants. It is the healthiest most purposeful way to live. There is healing, freedom, and liberation when we live in the light of God rather than in the pain of dark and hidden thoughts, words, and actions. It is a matter of trusting God.

Evaluate all of your acts, words, and thoughts.
Ask God to reveal what you are hiding, even to yourself.
Trust God.
Let the Light of God pour into that area of your life.
Let the Light of God shine in every area.
Shine on.
Learning with you to live in the Light of God through trust,
Shalom,
Kerrie
(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Did You Receive Your Assignment?

Today's question to meditate on: What is your assignment?

"God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it." John 3:17, NLT)

I had a friend that was known for his axioms. He often said, "Life is short. Live it well." He was still saying it before he died in his mid-nineties. Shortly after World War II, he went to Japan in order to live and work with the people that had their lives turned upside down from the devastation of war. When he came back to the states, he continued to purposefully look for ways to be a reconciler of people. He did it very well.

What was his secret to living life well?
The answer is easy for me. He purposefully and methodically lived in an active-participating relationship with God. My friend knew and said God is at work all the time. His life purpose was centered on being a part of whatever God was doing in his corner of the world. Rather than letting the days of his life pass by, my friend knew that God had a daily assignment for him.

Life changes when we participate in an active relationship with God and seek out our daily assignment. Jesus, God with us, came to save us from a life without God; we are not only extended an invitation to live in a relationship with Him but to live in an ongoing and active-participating relationship that includes being a vital component of his work.

Life is short.
Pursue an active relationship with God today.
Take time to be still . . . listen . . . receive your assignment for the day.
Live well.
Learning with you to complete the daily assignments,
Shalom,
Kerrie

(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Wrecked

Today's question to meditate on: Are you wrecked?


For only I, the Son of Man, have come to earth and will return to heaven again. And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so I, the Son of Man, must be lifted up on a pole, so that everyone who believes in me will have eternal life. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." (John 3: 13-16, NLT)

My friend's life has been wrecked. You see, my friend experienced the presence of Christ, God with us, and now lives intentionally in a relationship with God. Life challenges elicited the question, "How will this make a difference in my life?" But now, regardless of the circumstance, the question is, "God, how can I make a difference---what do you want me to do?" Life has radically changed. Fear has been replaced by peace . . . bitterness has been replaced by love . . . competition has been replaced by compassion . . . gossip has been replaced by encouragement . . . manipulation of circumstances and even people has been replaced by the desire to be a part of the work of God . . . the old way of living has been wrecked.

How do we move from desperately wanting life to be okay so that we are okay to being so wrecked for God that we are desperately concerned with being a part of what God is doing?

Jesus gave the answer: Christ, God with us, through powerful love invites us to enter into a participating relationship. Life focused on self is wrecked when we enter into the reality of a living, ongoing, never-ending, participating relationship with God.

Consciously focus on the reality of being in relationship with God.

Take time to meditate on what it means to be wrecked for God. Ask God to wreck you today, tomorrow, and every day.

Learning with you to be wrecked,
Shalom,
Kerrie

(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)

Monday, August 11, 2008

The Tree House

Today's question to meditate on: What does your life reveal about your belief in what God says?


"What do you mean?" Nicodemus asked. Jesus replied, "You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don't understand these things? I assure you, I am telling you what we know and have seen, and yet you won't believe us. But if you don't even believe me when I tell you about things that happen here on earth, how can you possibly believe if I tell you what is going on in heaven? (John 3: 9-12, NLT)

Our family went on vacation and stayed in an advertised tree house. While we had incredible fun, the house was different than what we had believed it to be. One of the most, well . . . shall I say "interesting" features, was the lack of walls and doors. The thing is, you get to know and appreciate one another when you live without walls and doors between one another . . . that would be literally as well as metaphorically.

We were not completely surprised by the discrepancy between the advertised statements and the reality of the tree house. Most of us expect advertising to be somewhat skewed to catch people's attention. At the end of the day, we tend to be skeptical about what we are promised. Some things never change. Nicodemus, a man that lived in the ancient days, struggled with believing what Jesus promised: new life! He faced Jesus, God with us, spending time in His presence . . . heard His words . . . conversed with him . . . got to know him . . . but it seemed too good to be true.

Isn't that what you and I do?

Do we truly believe God?

We say we believe but do we?

Do we live out that belief?

Or . . . do we live as if there is a difference between what God has said and true reality?

Evaluate your belief. Are you open to the reality of what God has promised? Do you expect a "tree house" experience?


Learning with you to believe God,
Shalom,
Kerrie

(All devotions written by Kerrie Palmer ©2008 All Rights Reserved)